Autolocation of Gray Goods

ABSTRACT

A device is allowed to be used only in a specified country. The device has an automatic location detection part, and automatically determines its location, and whether that location is authorized. If unauthorized, or if no location detection signal is detected for too long a time, the device is deactivated.

BACKGROUND

Goods may be separately licensed for use in different jurisdictions. For example, a Prada™ purse may be made specifically for the Mexican market. This purse may be slightly different than the US version, and may be sold for a different price. However once the item is sold, it is difficult to keep it from entering another jurisdiction.

Gray goods are goods that are licensed for use only in a certain jurisdiction, but then used in another different jurisdiction. This has become a difficult problem with clothing and furnishings such as purses and other designer goods. It is also a problem with electronic items.

SUMMARY

The present application teaches a system and method of automatically enforcing jurisdictional limits on electronic devices.

An embodiment describes obtaining a wireless signal in an electronic device, and using that wireless signal to determine a jurisdiction, and if the device is licensed for use in that jurisdiction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an electronic device with a location detection chip; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of operation.

An embodiment shown in FIG. 1. An electronic item, such as a media player 100 is shown. This electronic item requires electrical energization, e.g., electric power or battery power, in order to operate properly. Battery 110 is shown providing that power. The media player receives media 101, and decodes that media using decoder 105 to play the media. The media player may be an MP3 player such as an ipod, or may be a DVD or BlueRay type player, a television or digital video recorder, or any other kind of player. The item also includes an internal processor 120 that controls its actions, and also includes a location detector part 130. For example, the location detector may be a GPS device, or may be a wireless communication detector as described herein. It may alternatively be any other detector that automatically detects information indicative of location and/or position.

In one embodiment, the detector 130 is a global positioning device that may detect a location of the unit by reference to GPS satellites.

A GPS device, however, requires a clear view of the sky. Many devices like this are often used indoors, and will never get a good GPS fix.

In another embodiment, this system receives information wirelessly over an information receiving channel. The embodiments describe different ways of doing this.

An embodiment is a cellular phone detector. For example, this may use a multiple format cellular phone receiver that receives many of the different common cellular telephone transmissions. The receiver may receive any or all of GSM, GPRS, CDMA, TDMA, JIS, WAP, or any others. The receiver does not need to decode the telephone transmissions it receives—it only needs to recognize what they are and a carrier code indicative of their origin.

This can be, for example, a single, multifunction, chip that receives multiple different cell phone transmissions. The chip investigates periodically, for example once a day while operating, to investigate incoming cellular signals. As an alternative, the chip might only look at signals on startup, under the assumption that once the electronic device is started in an authorized jurisdiction, it may be difficult or impractical to move the electronic device to another jurisdiction without restarting it. For many media players, they are left energized all the time—and may never need to get another position fix after the first one (other than for power failures or moving the device). An antenna or other device can be used to facilitate getting that position fix in those rare circumstances where one needs to be obtained.

In the cellular embodiment, once receiving a cellular signal, the cellular signal is analyzed to determine information indicative of the carrier that produced that signal, without looking at the content of the communication it carries. For example, the content may include a carrier number or other information indicative of the carrier that is providing the content. The cellular information may be received from the carrier itself, or from a cellular phone that is transmitting.

The processor may store a list of all carrier information for all cellular carriers in the world. Based on receiving this information, the processor looks up the appropriate information within its list, and determines its actual location. The processor then executes the flowchart of FIG. 2.

This flowchart operates by receiving the wireless signal at 200. The wireless signal is analyzed at 205 to determine some information about the location.

If no location is found at 210, this may mean that the device is outside cellular range. A startup only mode is tested at 211, and if not active, for example, the system may allow x-time to find a location at 215. After the x-time has expired, however, the system may display or enunciate a message indicating that either the user needs to get a view of the sky (for GPS), or the unit needs to be unblocked to detect cellular signals, or some other action needs to be taken at 220. This prompts the operator to move the device to a place where the unit can receive information. Messages indicative of the failure to receive proper information can be received, for example. A message, for example, may be displayed, for example, saying “you have 24 hours to receive a fix”.

If no automatic location information has been received for some specified period of time, e.g 7 days, the electronic device may be disabled or partly disabled at 225 until such information is received. The partial disable may allow only certain kinds of functionality, for example, but still allows the unit to operate. This may completely stop the electronic device, or it may stop only a part of the device, or one particular function of the device, or only for a specified time.

If a location is found at 210, the system determines whether the electronic device is in an authorized location at 230. For example, if the device is authorized for use in the United States only, and a United States cellular carrier is found, the processor determines an authorized location. If so, the process continues. If not, flow passes to 225 which disables or partly disables the unit.

An advantage of this system is that the device can, with relatively simply receiving structure, automatically enforce jurisdictional limits on its location. This system can be used in televisions, media players such as ipods or dvd players, cameras, or in any other device that has an electrical component or powering system, and can have a special chip inserted. Portable devices, e.g. cameras, may be more usable with GPS determination, since devices of this type may be taken outside at times, e.g. to be carried to a location.

Other ways of determining the location can be used. For example, the unit may receive cordless phone transmissions, and carry out caller ID on those transmissions to determine the telephone number, and from that telephone number, determine the country.

Another embodiment may receive wireless radio or television transmissions, and analyze information within those transmissions to determine the country of origin.

More generally, other embodiments may receive information wirelessly over an information receiving channel. Examples of the wireless information receiving channel given above include cellular transmissions, wireless telephone, radio or television, but receptions over other wireless receiving channels may also be encompassed. For example, other radio channels, such as time or weather, or others are encompassed.

This embodiment can also be used with clothing or furniture, by attaching a theft-deterrent device to the clothing/furniture. The theft deterrent device is a large tag that is attached to the clothing. The device has a battery operation to allow it to receive wireless information and determine its location. Removal of the device is allowed only when proper location detection information is automatically detected.

The general structure and techniques, and more specific embodiments which can be used to effect different ways of carrying out the more general goals are described herein.

Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventor intends these to be encompassed within this specification. The specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way. This disclosure is intended to be exemplary, and the claims are intended to cover any modification or alternative which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skill in the art. For example, other devices besides media players are intended to be encompassed; anything that has a source of power, such as lights, printers, computers, network appliances, home appliances, and virtually any others can be used in this way.

Also, the inventor intends that only those claims which use the words “means for” are intended to be interpreted under 35 USC 112, sixth paragraph. Moreover, no limitations from the specification are intended to be read into any claims, unless those limitations are expressly included in the claims. The communicator described herein may include any kind of computer, either general purpose, or some specific purpose computer such as a workstation. The computer may be an Intel (e.g., Pentium or Core 2 duo) or AMD based computer, running Windows XP or Linux, or may be a Macintosh computer.

The programs may be written in C or Python, or Java, Brew or any other programming language. The programs may be resident on a storage medium, e.g., magnetic or optical, e.g. the computer hard drive, a removable disk or media such as a memory stick or SD media, wired or wireless network based or Bluetooth based Network Attached Storage (NAS), or other removable medium or other removable medium. The programs may also be run over a network, for example, with a server or other machine sending signals to the local machine, which allows the local machine to carry out the operations described herein.

Where a specific numerical value is mentioned herein, it should be considered that the value may be increased or decreased by 20%, while still staying within the teachings of the present application, unless some different range is specifically mentioned. Where a specified logical sense is used, the opposite logical sense is also intended to be encompassed. 

1. A method, comprising: storing information in an electrically-powered device indicative of an authorized location for use of the electrically powered device; automatically determining information in the electrically powered device, from which location can be determined, said automatically determining operating based on power that is supplied to the electrically powered device; and comparing said automatically determined information with said information indicative of said authorized location; and preventing said device from carrying out at least one operation when said comparing indicates that said location is not an authorized location.
 2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said automatically determined information is wirelessly-received information over an information receiving channel.
 3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said automatically determined information is information indicative of cellular telephone transmissions.
 4. A method as in claim 3, wherein said information indicative of cellular telephone transmissions includes information that represents a specific carrier that is sending information.
 5. A method as in claim 3, wherein said information indicative of cellular telephone transmissions includes information indicative of a country of origin of said cellular telephone transmissions.
 6. A method as in claim 1, further comprising determining that said automatically determining has not been successfully carried out for a specified time period and carrying out at least one action to inform an operator that automatically determining needs to be carried out.
 7. A method as in claim 1, further comprising determining that said automatically determining has not been successfully carried out for a specified time period and preventing said device from carrying out at least one operation when said automatically determining has not be carried out for said specified time period.
 8. An apparatus, comprising: a connection to a source of power; at least one electronic part, connected to be powered from said source of power; an automatic location detecting device, obtaining location information from which location can be determined, said automatic location detecting device operating based on power that is supplied to the electrically powered device; a processor, operating based on said location information and accessing stored information indicative of an authorized location for use of the electronic part to determine if the device is operating in an authorized location and to prevent said device from carrying out at least one operation when said comparing indicates that said location is not an authorized location.
 9. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said automatic location detecting device is a receiver for wireless information over an information receiving channel.
 10. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said automatic location detecting device is a receiver for cellular telephone transmissions.
 11. An apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said information indicative of cellular telephone transmissions includes information indicative of a country of origin of said cellular telephone transmissions.
 12. An apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said processor further determines that said location information has not been successfully obtained for a specified time period of time, and operates to prevent said electronic part from carrying out at least one operation unless location information has been determined within a specified time period.
 13. An apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said processor determines that said location information has not been successfully obtained since the electronic part was powered on, and operates to prevent said electronic part from carrying out at least one operation until said location information has been determined, and allows said electronic part to operate until powered off without obtaining another location information.
 14. A method, comprising: storing information in an electrically-powered device indicative of an authorized location for use of the electrically powered device; automatically determining information in the electrically powered device, from which location can be determined, said automatically determining operating based on power that is supplied to the electrically powered device and comparing said automatically determined information with said information indicative of said authorized location; and preventing said device from carrying out at least one operation when said comparing indicates that said location is not an authorized location or when information has not been automatically determined for a specified time period.
 15. A method as in claim 14, wherein said specified time period is a number of days.
 16. A method as in claim 14, wherein said specified time period is relative to a time when the unit was powered on.
 17. A method as in claim 14, wherein said automatically determined information is information indicative of cellular telephone transmissions.
 18. A method as in claim 14, wherein said automatically determined information is information received over a wireless information receiving channel.
 19. A method as in claim 17, wherein said information indicative of cellular telephone transmissions includes information indicative of a country of origin of said cellular telephone transmissions.
 20. A method as in claim 14, wherein said automatically determining information comprises obtaining information wirelessly over an information carrying channel. 